Dental restorative compositions containing a polymerizable monomer, a polymerization initiator, and a filler are called composite resins, and are often used as materials for restoring a missing part of a tooth or treating dental caries in recent dentistry.
The physical properties of such dental restorative compositions depend on factors such as the material, shape, and particle diameter of the filler. An inorganic filler is typically used as the filler; however, the use of organic-inorganic composite fillers has also been studied.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a dental polymerization-curable composition that contains an organic-inorganic composite filler and that can be formed into a dental composite restorative material having good color compatibility with natural teeth. This composition contains an organic-inorganic composite filler having an average particle diameter of 1 to 20 μm and having a refractive index that differs by 0.01 or more from the refractive index of a matrix portion in which the filler is dispersed. A cured product of the composition has high light diffusion ability and therefore excellent color compatibility with natural teeth.